PIPELINE NEWS
WBUP: ‘Suspicious’ fire destroys Line 5 drilling machine, Enbridge blames ‘criminal saboteurs’
WBNG: Prayer walk protests Constitution Pipeline proposal
KLFY: Pipeline explosion west of Jennings forces evacuations; residents given all-clear
Midland Reporter-Telegram: Enbridge plans pipeline from Waha to El Paso
Pipeline & Gas Journal: FERC sets EA timeline for Steel Reef’s Flat Lake Access Pipeline Project
KTTV: LA County launches grants up to $3,000 for businesses impacted by Lineage Fire, East LA oil spill
Charleston Gazette-Mail: Former TC Energy director pays $3M in lawsuit involving Charleston building project
The Cool Down: Kentucky neighbors rally behind woman fighting sewage pipeline through land ‘full of deer’
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Reuters: Record US diesel prices squeeze farmers; food prices may rise
Reuters: Record diesel prices could be Trump’s Achilles’ heel: Bousso
Fortune: Americans’ data center fears are coming true—a New Jersey location just leaked 5,000 gallons of diesel
Reuters: US, China discuss cutting tariffs on US LNG ahead of Xi visit
STATE UPDATES
New York Times: Toxic Fracking Waste Bubbling Up in Ohio Is Becoming a Political Issue
Columbus Dispatch: Wayne National Forest plots leased to fracking industry for $11 million
Summit Daily: Colorado agencies call for removal of Roan Plateau parcels from federal oil and gas lease sale
Politico: In the heart of tech country, voters turn on AI
Politico: Citing Trump, GOP regulators reject gas plant for Amazon data center
Gilmer Mirror: Commissioner Christian Votes No on Carbon Capture Permit
Tampa Bay Business & Wealth: New carbon capture terminal planned at Seaport Manatee
Energy In Depth: Michigan Joins Growing Push for State Control of Carbon Capture Permitting
EXTRACTION
Reuters: Shell-led LNG Canada could approve Phase 2 expansion by early October, sources say
Financial Times: Ineos to store carbon dioxide off Denmark as technology gains momentum
OPINION
CalMatters: California Must Fight Back Against Trump Administration’s Offshore Drilling Push
Building Magazine: Capture carbon before it caps construction
PIPELINE NEWS
WBUP: ‘Suspicious’ fire destroys Line 5 drilling machine, Enbridge blames ‘criminal saboteurs’
Andrew Lorinser, 9/18/26
“Arson investigators are looking into a fire of “suspicious origin” that destroyed equipment at an Enbridge Line 5 project site early Thursday,” WBUP reports. “...Fire Chief Stuart Matthias told the news station crews arrived to find a boring machine, a power unit, and an equipment trailer completely burned. No injuries were reported. Enbridge confirmed the blaze heavily damaged a drilling machine, telling WDIO the fire was set by “criminal saboteurs.” “Illegal and unsafe acts by criminal saboteurs endanger themselves, the local community, first responders and our workers,” Enbridge said in a statement… “The suspected arson comes just weeks after a major pipeline disaster. In late August, a runaway semi-truck rolled into an open excavation site near Saxon. The crash caused a 1.3-million-gallon leak of natural gas liquids… “No suspect or motive has been identified in Thursday’s incident. Neither authorities or Enbridge have linked the fire to a specific group, individual, or organization… “While extinguishing the blaze, emergency responders also discovered graffiti with threatening messages aimed at Enbridge painted on the building and surrounding signs.”
WBNG: Prayer walk protests Constitution Pipeline proposal
Kayla Hutt, 9/19/26
“Dozens of people gathered Saturday morning at Oquaga Creek State Park as community members and Indigenous leaders set out on foot to protest a resurfaced natural gas pipeline proposal,” WBNG reports. “The walk was organized by the Water Unity Alliance and led by Indigenous grandmothers. Participants said the walk is a spiritual prayer for water protection. The walk comes as opponents raise concerns over the Constitution Pipeline. The proposed 30-inch, 125-mile fracked gas pipeline would run from northeastern Pennsylvania into Schoharie County. “We’re gathered here to unite as people, as women, and go and walk along the proposed constitutional pipeline route that’s over a hundred miles long,” said Julia Walsh, executive director of Frack Action… “Craig Stevens, a sixth-generation landowner in Susquehanna County, told WBNG this is not the first time Williams has pursued the project. He said he fought against a pipeline the company sought to build in 2012. He said he believes the walk will make an impact and bring awareness to the cause. Organizers said the pipeline would threaten water, increase energy bills and cause health risks to communities… “Organizers said they will host events along the way and gather water intended for Gov. Kathy Hochul as a message to keep it clean. They plan to deliver the water to the Capitol on Oct. 6.”
KLFY: Pipeline explosion west of Jennings forces evacuations; residents given all-clear
Bailey Wilson, 9/18/26
“Residents are back home after a natural gas pipeline explosion west of Jennings prompted evacuations and road closures Friday morning,” KLFY reports. “Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff Kyle Miers told KLFY the explosion happened around 8 a.m. near Farm Supply Road and U.S. 90. Emergency personnel responded to the scene and contacted the pipeline company. Miers told KLFY pipeline workers arrived and capped the line on both the north and south ends… “As a safety precaution, officials evacuated about 20 homes within roughly a quarter-mile of the area. U.S. 90 and Farm Supply Road were also closed during the response. Welsh-Roanoke Junior High was placed on a precautionary lockdown while emergency crews worked in the area. Louisiana State Police also responded and conducted air-quality testing near the scene… “Farm Supply Road remains closed to most traffic while crews continue repairs to the ruptured pipeline.”
Midland Reporter-Telegram: Enbridge plans pipeline from Waha to El Paso
Mella McEwen, 9/19/26
“...Just weeks after agreeing to buy Salt Creek Midstream’s Delaware Basin crude oil gathering business for $600 million, Enbridge has launched a non-binding open season for the proposed West Texas Express Pipeline project,” according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram. “...The project would be a major new natural gas pipeline designed to transport additional Permian Basin supply west from the Waha area to markets in and around El Paso. The pipeline is expected to include more than 150 miles of new pipe, with a diameter of up to 42 inches and initial transportation capacity of up to 2 billion cubic feet per day. The pipeline would extend from receipt points near the Waha hub to delivery points in the greater El Paso area… “Subject to securing sufficient commercial support and obtaining required approvals, the project is targeting an in-service date in the fourth quarter of 2029.”
Pipeline & Gas Journal: FERC sets EA timeline for Steel Reef’s Flat Lake Access Pipeline Project
9/20/26
“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has laid out its schedule for completing an environmental review of Steel Reef Pipelines US LLC’s proposed Flat Lake Access Pipeline Project, according to a notice published in the Federal Register on September 14, 2026,” Pipeline & Gas Journal reports. “FERC staff plan to issue an environmental assessment (EA) for the project by January 6, 2027, opening a 30-day comment period. That sets a 90-day federal authorization decision deadline of April 6, 2027, for agencies responsible for permits and approvals tied to the project… “The project would connect Steel Reef’s existing compressor station near Fortuna, North Dakota, to the Flat Lake Gas Plant in Saskatchewan, Canada.”
KTTV: LA County launches grants up to $3,000 for businesses impacted by Lineage Fire, East LA oil spill
9/17/26
“Officials in Los Angeles County announced the launch of a grant program offering up to $3,000 to small businesses affected by the Lineage Fire in Boyle Heights, as well as the oil spill in East LA,” KTTV reports. “The Small Business Recovery Grants are eligible to businesses in designated impacted areas… “An oil spill occurred near East Cesar E. Chavez and Eastern avenues on May 22 and on June 17, the Lineage Fire first broke out in Boyle Heights. The fire aftermath has been a nightmare for nearby residents who dealt with foul odors and health issues from what was confirmed by air quality regulators to be millions of pounds of rotting food. “Small businesses should not be left to absorb the financial damage caused by an emergency they did not create,” Los Angeles County Board Chair and Supervisor Hilda Solis told KTTV. “The Lineage Fire and East Los Angeles oil spill disrupted commerce and put an unfair burden on owners who were simply trying to keep their doors open.”
Charleston Gazette-Mail: Former TC Energy director pays $3M in lawsuit involving Charleston building project
Sara Oppenheimer, 9/20/26
“A former TC Energy employee agreed to pay $3 million in damages in July as part of a lawsuit alleging a misuse of company real estate funds, specifically during the leasing of a Charleston building,” the Charleston Gazette-Mail reports. “TC Energy filed a suit against Rick Urbanczyk, the former director of real estate and property management, alleging that Urbanczyk diverted at least $2.5 million of the company’s funds into his own businesses and accounts… “Urbanczyk doesn’t work for TC Energy anymore, and the company claims that the misappropriation of funds did not affect any of the company’s processes. The agreement between TC Energy and the leased building is still active, and the building will be leased to TC Energy once completed.”
The Cool Down: Kentucky neighbors rally behind woman fighting sewage pipeline through land ‘full of deer’
Leigh Cook, 9/20/26
“A fight over a sewage pipeline in Boone County, Kentucky, has made one woman’s wooded property the center of a debate over who should bear the burden of infrastructure projects,” The Cool Down reports. “The dispute reaches directly into the land of Burlington resident Gayle Pille, who has owned her more than 40 acres for nearly four decades… “SD1 says the work requires over 70 easements, with all but one already secured. It plans to take part of Pille’s land through eminent domain for a 20-foot underground sewer easement, the outlet noted. Pille has fought the seizure in court. A Boone County Circuit Court judge sided with SD1, and the Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld that decision April 3. She has asked the Kentucky Supreme Court to hear the case… “Neighbors continue to speak out, and Pille is pushing for the state’s highest court to take up the case. For her, the battle is about what could be disrupted on the land she has fought to protect. “It’s full of deer, it’s full of turkeys. You see the bird feeders right here, lots of different birds,” she said.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Reuters: Record US diesel prices squeeze farmers; food prices may rise
Leah Douglas, Lisa Baertlein and Nichola Groom, 9/18/26
“In northeast Missouri, Addie Yoder, a corn, soybean and cattle farmer, runs two combines, three semi-trucks and several tractors from mid-September to late October to harvest and transport her crops. With diesel prices at record highs and just one combine requiring 300 gallons of the fuel, the best she can do is try to curb other expenses, she told Reuters. “In southeast South Dakota, Drew Peterson, a soybean, corn and cattle farmer, expects to spend as much as $1,500 per day to fuel just one of his combines this season, double last year’s costs, among the many machines he must use to bring in his crop… “Across the U.S., farmers are confronting record-high diesel prices during the height of harvest season, further squeezing already thin margins. Price hikes seem inevitable at America’s grocery stores ahead of November’s midterm elections, where cost of living is expected to be a primary voter concern… “Higher diesel prices raise costs in every step of the food supply chain, from harvesting on farms to freight delivery that carries food to grocery stores, David Ortega, an economist at Michigan State University, told Reuters… “Farm fuel costs are up $11 per acre from last year for corn and $7 per acre for soybeans, Michael Langemeier, an economist at Purdue University, told Reuters… “Though fuel accounts for a small share of the cost of food, consumers could still see prices rise as the supply chain absorbs higher fuel costs over the coming months, Ortega told Reuters.”
Reuters: Record diesel prices could be Trump’s Achilles’ heel: Bousso
Ron Bousso, 9/18/26
“Unlike crude oil or gasoline, diesel rarely makes front-page news, yet it now has U.S. President Donald Trump’s full attention,” Reuters reports. “Spiking prices for the fuel threaten to push inflation much higher, and taming it will be an epic challenge. Trump has recently shifted his focus from domestic gasoline prices to diesel… “It powers the trucks that stock supermarket shelves, the ships that carry goods around the world, and the machinery that drives farms, factories and construction sites… “But energy infrastructure – and refineries in particular – has become a key target in both the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the expanding war in the Middle East, making diesel supplies dangerously tight… “Then came a second blow. Years of Ukrainian drone attacks have crippled Russia’s refining network, and in July, Moscow imposed a diesel export ban… “As a result, combined diesel exports from Russia and the Gulf have fallen by roughly two-thirds from 2025 levels, leaving a hole that the rest of the world has struggled to fill… “This price spike is arguably more worrying than the rise in US gasoline, which is currently around $4.40 per gallon. That’s because diesel has more potential to ripple through supply chains for months, if not years, raising costs for manufacturing, transporting food and other goods, and construction. For the Trump administration, which has seen approval ratings for its handling of the economy plummet in the last seven months – largely because of cost-of-living concerns – this could be a serious new inflation headache with no simple remedy. In short, it’s not an ideal backdrop to the November 3 midterm elections, particularly in the Farm Belt, a key political constituency where farmers face higher diesel costs during the autumn harvest.”
Fortune: Americans’ data center fears are coming true—a New Jersey location just leaked 5,000 gallons of diesel
Sasha Rogelberg, 9/17/26
“A New Jersey data center has leaked thousands of gallons of diesel fuel, and it’s the latest example of Americans’ fears about the environmental threats of the AI buildout materializing,” Fortune reports. “Secaucus, New Jersey, officials are cleaning up a 5,000-gallon oil spill from an Equinix data center storage tank that began leaking last week, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said in a statement released on Tuesday… “As data center pushback continues to snowball, so, too, do concerns about the hazards associated with their buildout and operations, with some anxieties actualized in real time… “There have been at least 10 data-center diesel spills in the last couple of decades, including two in New Jersey. In 2017, the Garden State saw 600 gallons of fuel from a data center enter the Clifton region’s storm drains… “There have been more than 4,900 total oil spills in the U.S. since 2010, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data, with 14% coming from diesel, and the vast majority were the result of crude oil spills from transportation, and drilling and extraction. The magnitude of those spills also far exceed those of data center-related spills, exceeding 134 million gallons, and averaging about 300,000 gallons… “Data centers making up only a small fraction of fuel spills is illustrative of AI becoming the new face of the environmental bogeyman in the eyes of the American public.”
Reuters: US, China discuss cutting tariffs on US LNG ahead of Xi visit
Jarrett Renshaw, 9/18/26
“The US and China are discussing a plan to reduce or eliminate China’s tariffs on American LNG as part of a broader package of energy and agriculture agreements that could be announced when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Washington next week, two people briefed on the discussions told Reuters. The potential relief on US exports of liquefied natural gas is being discussed alongside a broader framework under which the US and China would each cut tariffs on about $30 billion of goods, the people told Reuters. China imposed a 15% tariff on US LNG in February 2025 in retaliation for President Donald Trump’s duties on Chinese goods. That effectively halted the US-China LNG trade, with the last significant cargoes arriving early that year.”
STATE UPDATES
New York Times: Toxic Fracking Waste Bubbling Up in Ohio Is Becoming a Political Issue
Quinn Glabicki, 9/17/26
“For years, Ohio has been a disposal destination for hundreds of millions of gallons of toxic wastewater produced by the fracking industry,” the New York Times reports. “The wastewater, which contains hazardous chemicals and radioactive material, is pumped deep underground into injection wells, where it’s supposed to stay. But recently it has been bubbling up to the surface, raising fears about health risks and drinking water contamination. Now, as elections loom, the issue is gaining political traction. On Thursday Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for governor in Ohio, pledged her support for a moratorium on this kind of fracking-wastewater disposal during a campaign stop in the town of Marietta, Ohio, where the water has been resurfacing, alarming the community. The leaks are “destroying local businesses and potentially contaminating Marietta’s drinking water,” Dr. Acton, a physician who formerly led the Ohio Department of Health, told the Times. “This poses a serious threat to the safety and quality of life.” Dr. Acton called for a three-year moratorium on permits for injection wells in Washington County, where Marietta is and a halt on further injection there while Ohio regulators conduct a “thorough investigation” on the effects of underground wastewater migration. The announcement comes as residents, public officials and water-system administrators in the rural county have urged state leaders to halt the practice, which they say threatens the drinking water sources for 32,000 people. “In Marietta, we have a chance to prevent the worst from happening, and we need to act now,” Dr. Acton told the Times, pointing to a potential billion-dollar cleanup.”
Columbus Dispatch: Wayne National Forest plots leased to fracking industry for $11 million
Jake Zuckerman, 9/18/26
“A handful of out-of-state oil and gas companies paid $11 million to the federal government as a lease payment to allow them to frack for natural gas in the Wayne National Forest, the only national forest in Ohio,” the Columbus Dispatch reports. “Drillers from Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas all won bids for some of the 41 plots that were sold Sept 15, the culmination of about a decade of work from three presidents to expand oil and gas exploration in the forest and litigation from environmentalists trying to block it. The sale spans nearly 2,800 acres of forestland. Finalizing leasing in the Wayne has been part of the Trump administration’s aggressive pursuit of opening new public lands to the oil and gas industry while easing some of the rules around bond requirements, public comments and timelines around the lease sales… “For one, the drilling and extraction itself can harm plants and wildlife in the protected areas – the Center for Biological Diversity raised this issue for years in court to stall the lease sale. They also say they make governments financially dependent on fossil fuels, complicating the transition to a renewable-energy-dependent grid.”
Summit Daily: Colorado agencies call for removal of Roan Plateau parcels from federal oil and gas lease sale
Ali Longwell, 9/20/26
“Two Colorado agencies are asking the Bureau of Land Management to reconsider offering several parcels — including several atop the Roan Plateau — for oil and gas leasing in December, citing concerns about potential impacts on wildlife and water quality,” the Summit Daily reports. “...In separate letters submitted during the sale’s public comment period, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and Colorado Parks and Wildlife have asked the agency to defer or conduct further consultation on the inclusion of several parcels that overlap with big game habitat and production areas, the Beatty Canyon Ranch State Habitat Area in Las Animas County and the Roan Plateau outside of Rifle… “The concerns then — and now — center around how development on the plateau would impact watersheds that support a rare, genetically pure trout species, wildlife habitat that’s crucial to elk, mule deer and greater sage grouse and well-established hunting, fishing and backcountry recreation.”
Politico: In the heart of tech country, voters turn on AI
Tyler Katzenberger, 9/21/26
“Even Silicon Valley’s backyard is bracing for a dark AI future,” Politico reports. “California voters are overwhelmingly pessimistic about AI and believe the rapidly advancing technology poses a serious risk to humanity, according to a new poll by Politico and its partners. The anxiety in the hub of the global tech industry cuts across partisan and demographic lines, with voters of different ages and party affiliations expressing remarkably similar concerns about where the technology is headed… “The results are a striking rebuke of the technology from a state that, more than any other, stands to benefit from the industry’s continued growth. More than three quarters of registered voters (77%) said advanced AI is likely a threat to humans, with 44% saying it is “very likely” a serious risk… “A recent survey from Politico and the independent London-based pollster Public First found 63% of Americans said advanced AI poses at least a “moderate risk” of destroying humanity. The darkening outlook lands as industry leaders and politicians debate whether AI needs tighter safety rules, following dire warnings from the highest levels of industry that unchecked innovation threatens potentially disastrous consequences for humans.”
Politico: Citing Trump, GOP regulators reject gas plant for Amazon data center
Arianna Skibell, 9/18/26
“Republican regulators on Friday threw a wrench in Amazon’s plan to power a $10 billion data center project in North Carolina — citing President Donald Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge,” Politico reports. “The GOP-controlled North Carolina Utilities Commission rejected a half-billion-dollar natural gas project sought by Duke Energy, the state’s largest utility, to primarily serve a 21-building Amazon facility under construction near Charlotte. Republican commissioners on the five-member panel said Duke did not adequately demonstrate how consumers would be shielded from paying for the peaker plant. GOP members William Brawley, Tommy Tucker and Donald van der Vaart said Duke failed to explain how it would “adhere to its commitments under the Ratepayer Protection Pledge” — a voluntary agreement brokered by the White House. The denial comes amid the growing backlash to data centers and artificial intelligence. And it underscores growing skepticism among state regulators towards energy projects designed to meet the facilities’ massive electricity needs.”
Gilmer Mirror: Commissioner Christian Votes No on Carbon Capture Permit
9/20/26
“RRC Commissioner Wayne Christian issued the following statement after voting against ExxonMobil’s Rose Carbon Capture and Storage permit,” the Gilmer Mirror reports. “The Commission approved the permit by a 2–1 vote.“I am disappointed by the outcome. I remain unconvinced that the record adequately establishes the project’s long-term safety,” Christian said. “I still have not heard a convincing answer to a basic question: What is the point of permanently injecting carbon dioxide underground? These projects also require massive taxpayer subsidies, and I am concerned they will drive up costs for the consumers I was elected to represent.”
Tampa Bay Business & Wealth: New carbon capture terminal planned at Seaport Manatee
Chuck Merlis, 9/18/26
“Tampa-based Aptamus Carbon Solutions will begin planning a carbon dioxide terminal and marine transportation system at Seaport Manatee for a proposed biomethanol plant expected to capture about 200,000 metric tons of CO2 each year,” Tampa Bay Business & Wealth reports. “Aptamus signed an agreement with Fort Myers-based Demeter Energy, developer of the proposed Manatee County plant that would turn Florida wood and green waste into about 100,000 metric tons of biomethanol annually while capturing roughly 200,000 metric tons of CO2 before it reaches the atmosphere… “The dual-cargo ship, which Aptamus says would be the first of its kind in the country, would carry the captured carbon to Texas or Louisiana for permanent underground storage or use in enhanced oil recovery… “The announcement did not include a construction timeline or project cost, and the work remains at the planning stage.”
Energy In Depth: Michigan Joins Growing Push for State Control of Carbon Capture Permitting
Ally Godsil, 9/18/26
“...Recently, members of the Michigan House Energy Committee introduced legislation that would transfer oversight of Class VI underground carbon storage wells from federal regulators to the state. The move would give Michigan greater authority over carbon capture and storage (CCS) development and position the state to compete for investment and jobs tied to the emerging CCS industry,” Energy In Depth reports. “The legislative package, House Bills 6247, 6248, and 6249 would establish a state-level regulatory framework for CCS projects and allow the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to oversee Class VI wells… “Six states currently hold primacy—North Dakota, Wyoming, Louisiana, West Virginia, Arizona and Texas— with eight more in the pre-application phase… “Research from the Clean Air Task Force found that CCS could help decarbonize the state’s hard-to-abate industrial sectors while preserving high-wage manufacturing and energy jobs… “Michigan’s network of cement, steel, ethanol, and power generation facilities represent a significant opportunity for emissions reductions and economic growth through carbon capture retrofits, with the Great Plains Institute projecting the industry could attract as much as $10.7 billion in private investment statewide.”
EXTRACTION
Reuters: Shell-led LNG Canada could approve Phase 2 expansion by early October, sources say
Amanda Stephenson, Curtis Williams and Marwa Rashad, 9/17/26
“Partners in the Shell-led LNG Canada export project could reach a final investment decision on its Phase 2 expansion as early as next month, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The expansion would add a further 14 million metric tons per annum (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas export capacity to the facility in Kitimat, British Columbia, effectively doubling the project’s total capacity to 28 mtpa. The proposed expansion comes as LNG buyers, particularly in Asia, are placing a growing emphasis on supply security amid conflict in the Middle East, Red Sea shipping disruptions and uncertainty over future flows through the Strait of Hormuz… “The facility shipped its first cargo earlier this year and is viewed as a cornerstone of Canada’s effort to become a major global LNG exporter.”
Financial Times: Ineos to store carbon dioxide off Denmark as technology gains momentum
Ian Johnston and Rachel Millard, 9/18/26
“Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos has opened a carbon dioxide storage site off the Danish coast, as momentum builds in Europe for the fledgling but expensive technology,” the Financial Times reports. “The chemicals group said its Greensand site, roughly 250km from the Danish shore and almost 2km beneath the seabed, would be able to store up to 400,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year in its first phase. Its launch followed the opening last week of a separate project in Norway. Ineos said its scheme was the first full-scale site based fully in the EU… “The project had potential to store up to 8mn tonnes each year as it scaled up, Ineos said. But this would require further drilling and more interest among customers for the technology, Eadbhard Pernot, executive director of industry group Carbon Management Europe, told FT… “It marks a step forward in Europe’s ambitions to capture and store emissions from polluting industries that cannot easily reduce them by switching to low-carbon electricity or other measures — though critics argue pursuing carbon storage will only prolong the dependence of factories on fossil fuels. Scientists have also warned of the risk of leaks.”
OPINION
CalMatters: California Must Fight Back Against Trump Administration’s Offshore Drilling Push
Ted Danson is an actor, advocate and Oceana board member, 9/18/26
“More than 40 years ago, I was walking along a beach in Santa Monica with my young daughters when we came across a sign that read: “Water Polluted. No Swimming.” My daughters looked at me, confused. They wanted to know why they couldn’t go in the water… “That moment set me on a path that led to the fight against offshore drilling off California’s coast,” Ted Danson writes for CalMatters. “I never imagined that, more than four decades later, we’d still be working to keep it at bay. For generations, Californians have chosen to protect this coastline. Yet the federal government’s newly released plan threatens to undo that progress by once again proposing to open our waters to expanded offshore oil and gas drilling… “From Santa Barbara to Orange County, we’ve watched oil wash up on our shores, seen wildlife coated in crude, and witnessed beaches shut down while local businesses, fishing families and coastal communities absorbed the damage… ” While Washington pushes in the wrong direction, Sacramento has a chance to push back in the right one. State lawmakers recently passed Assembly Bill 1448, legislation that would give California stronger tools to block new offshore drilling and stop old oil infrastructure from being repurposed to support fresh drilling operations. It’s a practical, common-sense measure built on a simple idea: the cheapest oil spill to clean up is the one that never happens. Given his outspoken record on defending our coast from federal drilling proposals, Gov. Gavin Newsom should sign this bill into law without delay.”
Building Magazine: Capture carbon before it caps construction
Martin Casey is senior director, cement and lime, at the Mineral Products Association, 9/21/26
“The [UK] government has set out its seventh carbon budget, which includes the legally binding target of reducing emissions by 87% between 2038 and 2042. The construction industry will be put to the test if it is to hit that mark,” Martin Casey writes for Building Magazine. “From the infrastructure pipeline to the new towns programme, if we are going to get things built within carbon limits, then construction firms are going to need access to a reliable, continuous supply of decarbonised materials. That includes cement, which is a main ingredient in concrete, the most used construction material in the world… “If we want to achieve net zero while building at scale, then the climate change committee has been clear: for cement to decarbonise, carbon capture is a necessity. Analysis from the Mineral Products Association (MPA) shows that cement carbon capture has the potential to cut the sector’s emissions by 75% by 2035, in turn slashing construction emissions by up to 3.8 million tonnes of CO₂ a year… “To stay within its carbon limits, construction will need to rely on lower-carbon cement produced with CCUS… “If the UK is serious about meeting both its building ambitions and its climate action goals, we must address carbon as a limiting factor. CCUS helps to do that, while securing the future of a foundational, 200-year old British industry.”
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